Articulated railway tank cars

ABSTRACT

An articulated structure for adjacent ends of two railway car bodies including a pair of four-wheeled trucks connected by a span sill structure supported for relative pivotal movement on center plates of the pair of trucks. The sill structure has a pair of center plates thereon and support the two railway car bodies for relative pivotal movement thereon. The railway car bodies are particularly adapted as railway tank car bodies having their adjacent ends of a reduced diameter with stub center sill structures secured to the reduced diameter end portions and permit the connection of two tank car bodies each having a capacity of twenty-five thousand (25,000) gallons or more thereby providing a total capacity in the two articulated cars of over fifty thousand (50,000) gallons.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Ronald P. Bolte 2,920,580 l/l960 Williams.' l05/4X Saint Louis City, Mo. 3,277,843 l 966 Horner et al. 105/360 [21] Appl. No. 759,380 3,474,740 l0/l968 Vames 105/360 [22] Filed 1968 Primary'Examiner-Arthur L. LaPoint Panama! 1971 Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran [73] Assignee ACF Industries, Incorporated Atmme ens N Riddle New York, N.Y. y g a corporation of New Jersey [54] ig figg i TANK CARS ABSTRACT: An articulated structure for adjacent ends of two railway car bodies including a pair of four-wheeled trucks [52] US. Cl 105/4, connected by a span sill tructure supported for relative l /1 1 l05/362 pivotal movement on center plates of the pair of trucks. The [51] Int. Cl B6ld 5/06, ill structure has a air of center plates thereon and support 361d l 1361f 12 the two railway car bodies for relative pivotal movement Field of Search 105/3, 4, thereon, The railway car bodies are particularly adapted as 34, 199 railway tank car bodies having their adjacent ends of a reduced diameter with stub center sill structures secured to [56] References cued the reduced diameter end portions and permit the connection UNITED STATES PATENTS of two tank car bodies each having a capacity of twenty-five 3,476,040 1 H1969 Karakashian et a1. 105/4 th gallons or more thereby providing a total 1,972,934 9/1934 Hedgcock 105/183 cap i y in h w articulated cars of over y thousand 2,170,581 8/1939 West et a1. 105/159 (50,000) gallons.

/2 I43 I4 10 f i //4c 14/? a6 E- 38 4 2a /8 l6 5 Q 34 M 6'6 M 34 2o PATENTED JAN28 1911 SHEET 0F 4 ARTICULATED RAILWAY TANK CARS BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Heretofore. large capacity railway tank cars of forty thousand (40,000) gallons and over have been provided. However, such tank cars require a relatively long length between truck centers which reduces the maximum diameter tank employed. The present invention permits a maximum diameter tank as two tank car bodies of a relatively short length are provided. Thus, large capacities as high as seventy thousand (70,000) gallons may be employed in the present design with tanks of a maximum diameter as illustrated in plate B of AAR (Association of American Railroads) clearance diagrams.

The present invention comprises an articulated structure for interconnecting and supporting adjacent ends of two railway tank car bodies, each of said adjacent ends of said tank car bodies including a tank shell of a reduced diameter having a fixed stub center sill structure and an integral tank bolster secured thereto, a pair of four-wheel trucks each having a center plate thereon, a span sill structure extending between said pair of trucks and having a pair of center plates on the underside thereof coacting with the center plates of said trucks to support the span sill structure for pivotal movement thereon, a pair of center plates on the upper surface of said span center sill structure in vertical alignment with the center plates on the underside thereof, and a center plate on the tank bolster of each railway tank car body coacting with the center plates on the upper surface of the span sill structure to support the car bodies for pivotal movement thereon.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the articulated structure showing adjacent ends of two railway tank car bodies connected thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 showing the articulated structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken generally along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of one of the railway car bodies; and

FIG. 6 is a plan of the span sill structure shown removed from the articulated structure.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a pair of railway tank car bodies'are indicated generally 10 and 12 each having a tank shell 14. Each.tank shell 14 includes a reduced diameter. inner end portion 14A, a transition portion 148, and a main body cylindrical portion 14C. Secured beneath the outer end portion of each shell 14 is a fixed stub center sill structure generally indicated 16 each including a saddle plate 18, a generally hat-shaped center sill 20 secured beneath the saddle plate, and a support cradle or tank bolster structure generally indicated 22. Support cradle 22 includes a cradle pad or plate 24 of an arcuate shape fitting along the outer surface of the associated shell 14 and outer side body bolster plates 26 extending downwardly from cradle pad 24. A center plate 28 of tank bolster structure 22 is supported on a suitable wheeled truck 30.

An end stub center sill structure is secured to each inner reduced diameter portion 14Aand includes a saddle plate 32 extending from main body cylindrical portion 14C, across transition portion 14B, to reduced diameter end section 14A. A center sill 34 is secured beneath saddle plate 32 and has a lower plate 35 to form a box shape with saddle plate 32.

As shown in FIG. 3, a tank bolster structure or cradle support generally indicated 36 is secured to each reduced diameter section 14A and includes a cradle pad 38 of an arcuate shape fitting along the outer surface of reduced diameter portion 14 and having a cutout portion receiving saddle plate 32. Vertically extending webs 40 extend in a direction transversely of each car body between cradle pad 38 and a lower body bolster plate 42. A side body bolster plate 44 extends between each outer end of lower bolster plate 42 and saddle plate 38. Intermediate reinforcing members 46 extend between lower cover plate 42 and saddle plate 38. Side bearing pads 48 are secured beneath lower plate 42 adjacent reinforcing members 46. A center plate 50 is secured to the underside of lower cover plate 42 and has a central opening 52 therein.

Mounted beneath the tank body bolster structure 36 and comprising the present invention is a span or connecting sill structure generally indicated 54. Span sill structure 54 comprises a hat-shaped span sill 56 having a bolster structure 58 adjacent each end thereof extending transversely of span sill 56. Each bolster structure 58 is generally identical and includes an upper cover plate 60, a lower cover plate 62, a pair of vertically extending transverse webs 64, and a vertical side plate 66 extending between cover plates 60 and 62. An upper bowl-shaped center plate 68 receives superjacent center plate 50 and has a center pin 70 received within opening 52 of center plate 50 to permit relative pivotal movement as shown in FIG. 3. A rim of circumferential flange 72 extends about the circumference of center plate 68. Side bearings pads 73 are secured to the upper surface of upper web plate 60 in bearing contact with superjacent side bearing pads 48. A side bearing 74 is secured to the lower surface of lower cover plate 62 adjacent each side thereof. A center plate 76 is provided on lower cover plate 62 and has a central opening 78 therein.

Mounted beneath each lower center plate 76 is a fourwheeled truck generally indicated 80 and having a truck bolster 82 thereon. Side bearings 84 on the upper surface of truck bolster 82 are positioned beneath side bearings 74. A center pin 86 extending from a bowl-shaped bearing or center plate 88 on truck bolster 82 is received within opening 78. Thus, the reduced diameter end portions 14A of tank car bodies 10 and 12 are supported for relative pivotal movement on span sill structure 54. Span sill structure 54 is, in turn, supported for pivotal movement on wheeled trucks 80. Span sill structure 54 is axially aligned with outer end stub center sill structure 16 as trucks 30 and 80 are generally identical fourwheel trucks. Thus, inner stub center sill structures 34 fixed to the reduced diameter end portions 14A of tank car bodies 10 and 12 are at a height greater than the height of outer end stub sill structure 16.

As a specific, but nonlimiting, example of an articulated tank car structure comprising the present invention, tank shells 14 may be of a total length of fifty-five (55) feet each having a capacity of 30,000 gallons or a total capacity of 60,000 gallons for the entire articulated structure. Span sill structure 54 may have a total length of around eighteen (18) feet with a distance between truck centers of trucks 80 of around twelve (12) feet. The outside diameter of shells 14 may be one hundred and twenty inches with a reduced diameter portion 14A of around one hundred and four (l04) inches.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

I claim:

1. An articulated railway tank car structure comprising, a pair of tank car shells closely positioned in end-to-end relation to each other and having inner end portions of a substantially lesser diameter than the remote outer end portions thereof, each reduced inner end portion having a fixed stub center sill structure and an integral body bolster secured thereto, a pair of four-wheel trucks each having a bolster including a center plate thereon, a connecting sill structure extending between M a/it;

connecting sill structure in vertical alignment with the center plates on the underside thereof, a center plate on the body bolster of each railway tank car shell coacting with the center plate on the upper surface of the connecting sill structure to support the tank car shells for pivotal movement thereon, and a bolster structure on the connecting sill structure adjacent each pair of vertically aligned center plates thereon extending outwardly transversely of the shells, each bolster structure on the connecting sill structure having upper and lower cover plates with side bearings thereon, said body bolsters and said truck bolsters having side bearings coacting with the side bearings on said connecting sill structure.

2. An articulated railway tank car-structure comprising, a pair of tank car shells closely positioned in end-to-end relation to each other and having inner end portions of a substantially lesser diameter than the remote outer end portions thereof, each reduced inner end portion having a fixed stub center sill structure and an integral body bolster secured thereto, a pair of trucks each having a bolster including a center plate thereon, a connecting sill structure extending between said pair of trucks and having a pair of center plates on the underside thereof coacting with the center plates of said trucks to support the connecting sill structure for pivotal movement thereon, a pair of center plates on the upper surface of said connecting sill structure in vertical alignment with the center plates on the underside thereof, and a center plate on the body bolster of each railway tank car shell coacting with the center plate on the upper surface of the connecting sill structure to support the tank car shells for pivotal movement thereon.

3. An articulated railway tank car structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein the outer end portion of each tank shell has a fixed stub center sill structure thereon axially aligned with the connecting sill structure. 

1. An articulated railway tank car structure comprising, a pair of tank car shells closely positioned in end-to-end relation to each other and having inner end portions of a substantially lesser diameter than the remote outer end portions thereof, each reduced inner end portion having a fixed stub center sill structure and an integral body bolster secured thereto, a pair of four-wheel trucks each having a bolster including a center plate thereon, a connecting sill structure extending between said pair of trucks and having a pair of center plates on the underside thereof coacting with the center plates of said trucks to support the connecting sill structure for pivotal movement thereon, a pair of center plates on the upper surface of said connecting sill structure in vertical alignment with the center plates on the underside thereof, a center plate on the body bolster of each railway tank car shell coacting with the center plate on the upper surface of the connecting sill structure to support the tank car shells for pivotal movement thereon, and a bolster structure on the connecting sill structure adjacent each pair of vertically aligned center plates thereon extending outwardly transversely of the shells, each bolster structure on the connecting sill structure having upper and lower cover plates with side bearings thereon, said body bolsters and said truck bolsters having side bearings coacting with the side bearings on said connecting sill structure.
 2. An articulated railway tank car structure comprising, a pair of tank car shells closely positioned in end-to-end relation to each other and having inner end portions of a substantially lesser diameter than the remote outer end portions thereof, each reduced inner end portion having a fixed stub center sill structure and an integral body bolster secured thereto, a pair of trucks each having a bolster including a center plate thereon, a connecting sill structure extending between said pair of trucks and having a pair of center plates on the underside thereof coacting with the center plates of said trucks to support the connecting sill structure for pivotal movement thereon, a pair of center plates on the upper surface of said connecting sill structure in vertical alignment with the center plates on the underside thereof, and a center plate on the body bolster of each railway tank car shell coacting with the center plate on the upper surface of the connecting sill structure to support the tank car shells for pivotal movement thereon.
 3. An articulated railway tank car structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein the outer end portion of each tank shell has a fixed stub center sill structure thereon axially aligned with the connecting sill structure. 